Righteous People in Wrong Places
10/1/07
Rev. Scott Epperson
(1Co 10:5) But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
(1Co 10:6) Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
(1Co 10:7) Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
(1Co 10:8) Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
(1Co 10:9) Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
(1Co 10:10) Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
(1Co 10:11) Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
(1Co 10:12) Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
Better Men Have Fallen
Some times we get the impression that the children of Israel were just a bunch of losers that were to ungrateful and selfish to deserve to be Gods chosen people. I believe that if we could no some of these individuals as real people and not just as the children of Israel we would find that they were probably no different than you and I, only they did not live in the dispensation of grace as you and I do today, many times theirs sin’s were dealt with quickly and severely.
I believe we might see a different picture, a picture of good people faced with troubles, and temptations, the fault as many of us, to choose complaint, murmuring, manipulation, deceitfulness to solve there problems rather than trusting God to solve their dilemma.
You see that’s our example, that Gods chosen people on the way to prosperity, and promise land got lost in their hearts and minds for forty years running from what we all run from many times, yielding to the masters direction, and provision. Good people , promised people, chosen people, but on the wrong place.
The pull of two paths
Proverbs 9:1-6 / 9:13-18
Describes two voices from two houses Wisdom and The Foolish Woman, and they cry out to the SIMPLE. Who is the SIMPLE? You and Me. Carnality Gods creation who are ignorant of the spiritual things, the eternal rewards ( Wisdom ) or the eternal consequences ( Foolish Woman’s House ).
You can read for yourself and see the difference between the two.
You will find Wisdom or the Kingdom of God, offers information, knowledge, direction, rest, understanding, purpose. So complicated and much to inconvenient to consider quickly.
Then the Foolish Woman, who offers every kind of pleasure rather than understanding. Her knowledge comes easy and from the surface. She seduces her victims and draws them in at their weakest moments only to find themselves deceived and trapped in the belly of hell.
7:12-19
Describes her ways. Look at how she traps and seduces the simple.
It is our fall time after time, not so much that we have deliberately ran to sin, but that behind the curtain of what is seen, and felt and touched there is the supernatural, the truth of our every day decisions. Our destination is heaven but we are many times sidetracked by roads of dishonesty, lust, greed.
Abraham walked down the path of Dishonesty -(see Gen_12:10-20)
(Pro 26:27) Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.
Many times in war soldiers would dip pits to trap their enemy, only sometimes in the confusion of battle they at times would fall into their own pit, thus if you are deceitful eventually you might find yourself trapped in your deceit. The same for the rock returning upon you. Soldiers would push a rock up to the top of a hill or cliff to push off on passing opponents, only sometimes in the attempt to defend themselves with their device, they were flattened themselves. Deceit sometimes catches up with us. This is often the problem with lying, eventually you have to lie to cover up your lies.
Pro 20:17 Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
David was a Righteous Man in the Wrong place:
The Road of Impurity - 2 Sam 11:2
DISCOURAGEMENT - (Elijah)
(Psa 42:4) When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.
(Psa 42:5) Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for* the help of his countenance.
DISOBEDIENCE- (Jonah)
Jonah found himself continually going down from the presences of the Lord until down brought him to the belly of the fish at the bottom of the sea.
“Sin will take farther than you want to go and keep you longer than you want to stay.”
Righteous People sometimes in Wrong Places!
